1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to a security system and more specifically to a computing architecture of a security system.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Security systems are widely used. Such systems are used to guard against the risk that contraband will be brought into a certain area. For example, such systems are often used at airports to ensure that passengers do not carry weapons or explosives onto airplanes. Such systems may also be used to screen luggage or cargo to ensure that contraband is not brought onto the airplane in checked baggage or in cargo.
Security systems have traditionally included inspection machines at security check points. Each inspection machine often includes a data acquisition system and a processing system. The data acquisition system may, for example, be an x-ray system that forms images of an item under inspection with x-ray or other penetrating radiation (referred to herein generally as “x-rays”). The data acquisition system collects raw data indicating the extent to which the item under inspection has interacted with the x-rays, such as by measuring with an array of detectors the intensity of the x-rays passing through the item.
Often, an inspection system generates a large amount of data for each item under inspection. The detector outputs are provided to the processing system that converts the raw data from the outputs of the detectors to a representation of the item under inspection. This format is often called an “image” because the traditional use of the information is to generate a display that provides the representation visually for a human operator. However, the image may also be processed by a computer to make threat assessments or may be partially processed to present information to a human in a form that allows the human to more readily make an assessment of whether the item under inspection contains contraband or other threats.
The amount of data generated by an inspection machine may be significant. Some systems gather data on x-rays passing through many regions of the item under inspection from different angles. This data can be processed, through a process sometimes referred to as computed tomographic reconstruction, to form a multi-dimensional representation of the item or portions of the item under inspection. Substantial computation is often required to form such reconstructions. Accordingly, many inspection machines include large and complex processors to perform the analysis of the raw data.
Alternative system architectures have been proposed. Examples may be found in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/116,693 to McClelland et al., entitled Remote Baggage Screening System, Software and Method; 10/116,714 to McClelland et al., entitled Remote Baggage Screening System, Software and Method; 10/116,718, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,879 to McClelland et al., entitled Remote Baggage Screening System, Software and Method; and 10/262,550, to Chan et al., entitled Remote Data Access. The assignee of those patents makes available products called Remote Access Bridge and Remote Access Server.
Nonetheless, it would be desirable to provide further improvements in security systems.